Challenging Gender Roles in China, an All-Girl Boy Band

The boy band Acrush is made up of five members—all of whom are girls. They’ve already accrued a substantial following (even before releasing any music) of primarily young female fans who call the band members “husbands.” While Acrush is challenging conservative Chinese beliefs and concepts surrounding gender, the band’s manager Wang Tianhai says, it’s neither political nor gimmicky, “They just enjoy the male appearance, the …

Language is Alive

NPR’s interview with lexicographer Kory Stamper (who is also an associate editor at Merriam-Webster) is a must-listen for word nerds. Stamper delves into the idea that language is “a living thing,” which means that working on a dictionary is an ever-evolving and constantly growing entity. “A lot of times people assume that English as we speak it is something that was curated maybe by some …

New African Photography II

The second annual exhibition of emerging African artists shows personal reflection of their home turf

In an impressive exhibition of visual artists on the rise, Brooklyn’s Red Hook Labs and London-based Nataal Media have teamed up for the second consecutive year to co-curate “New African Photography II.” The display coincides with the illustrious 1:54 Contemporary Art Fair—a reference to the 54 countries that comprise the continent—which has traveled from Somerset House to New York’s Pioneer Works this week. “This is …